Observation of a Membrane Fusion Intermediate Structure
Abstract
We report the observation of a phase of phospholipid that contains a structure similar to the commonly postulated interbilayer state that is crucial to membrane fusion. The widely accepted model for membrane fusion suggests that there is an intermediate state in which the two contacting monolayers become continuous via an hourglass-shaped structure called a stalk. Many efforts have been made to estimate the free energy for such a state in order to understand the functionality of membrane fusion proteins and to define key parameters in energy estimates. The observation of the stalk structure supports the stalk hypothesis for membrane fusion and enables the measurement of these parameters experimentally.
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Intermembrane splayed lipids are thought to template the reorientation of surrounding lipids, promoting formation of the stalk, a nanometric lipid bridge connecting the two proximal monolayers.
“Such intermembrane splayed lipids are thought to template the reorientation of surrounding lipids, promoting formation of the next intermediate, the stalk: a nanometric lipid bridge connecting the two proximal monolayers [14][15][16][17] .”
From Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway (2026) · cites this paper as [17]
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Signaling functions of phosphatidic acid
WANG, X., DEVAIAH, S., ZHANG, W., & WELTI, R. (2006) · Progress in Lipid Research · doi:10.1016/j.plipres.2006.01.005 · Cited by 757 · see citing works
The role of cholesterol in membrane fusion
Yang, S.-T., Kreutzberger, A. J. B., Lee, J., Kiessling, V., & Tamm, L. K. (2016) · Chemistry and Physics of Lipids · doi:10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2016.05.003 · Cited by 421 · see citing works
Distribution and Apoptotic Function of Outer Membrane Proteins Depend on Mitochondrial Fusion
Weaver, D., Eisner, V., Liu, X., Várnai, P., Hunyady, L., Gross, A., & Hajnóczky, G. (2014) · Molecular Cell · doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2014.03.048 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway
Jin, D., Li, Z., Roke, S., & Klein, J. (2026) · doi:10.64898/2026.02.19.706911
- Authors
- Yang, L., & Huang, H. W.
- Affiliations
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
- Rice University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Huang, Huey W.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2002-09-13
- Volume
- 297
- Issue
- 5588
- Pages
- 1877-1879
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W1977059850
- Cited by
- 307
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 6.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM055203, GM55203)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular transport and secretion
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis
- Keywords
- membrane fusion, lipid monolayers, membrane fusion protein, lipid bilayer structure
- MeSH terms
- Humidity, Lipid Bilayers, Membrane Fusion, Membrane Lipids, Phosphatidylcholines, Temperature, Thermodynamics, Water, X-Ray Diffraction
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